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- [S104] Cocke County, Tennessee, and its People, Cocke County Heritage Book Committee, (Walsworth Publishing, 1992), 246.
- [S120] A Place Called Home: Our Story, David L. Popiel, Duay O'Neil, et. al., (2006, The Newport Plain Talk / Jones Media Inc.), dpopiel@xtn.net., 79.
- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 19 Aug 2007.
Herman Sorrell celebrates 95th year in style
Photo by Duay O'Neil Five generations were present for Herman Sorrell's 95th birthday party on Saturday. From left are Norman Sorrell, son; Brandy Bailey, great-granddaughter, holding her daughter, Leiarah Gray, great-great-granddaughter; Sorrell; and Vicki Hicks, granddaughter.
By: Duay O'Neil
Source: The Newport Plain Talk
08-19-2007
NEWPORT - Somebody spilled the beans, but Herman Sorrell enjoyed his 95th "surprise" birthday party just the same.
"One of his friends from church, not realizing that it was a surprise, called to tell him that he wouldn't be able to attend," said Sorrell's daughter-in-law, Kathy. "When we came in to decorate the house, I decided to go ahead and tell him what we were doing, but he already knew!"
Sorrell greeted family and friends at his Aspen Drive home on Friday evening to share cake and punch and celebrate his special day.
Sorrell was born August 17, 1912, in Del Rio, one of three children of Tom "T. J." Sorrell and his wife, the former Dovie Spangler. His brother, William" later retired from the US Air Force. His sister, Grace, married Perry Self.
As a lad, Herman lived in the Blue Mill area of Del Rio, attending schools at Mulberry Gap and Jones Chapel, both one-room buildings. Among his teachers were Nathan Jones and Mamie Hahn.
The Sorrell family attended church at Mulberry Gap and Jones Chapel also, following the Methodist traditions of his family. His membership remains with Jones Chapel.
In 1931, Sorrell enlisted in the US Army and was sent to Panama, where he "did a little of everything."
"I enlisted then because it was the Depression and there's wasn't any work here," said Sorrell. "I thought I'd get rich on the $21 a month they paid me, but then the government cut that by 8 percent."
Following his tour of duty, he returned to the Del Rio mountains and eventually landed a job carrying the mail. "At first my route was 24 miles, but by the time I retired it had grown to 67 miles. Every time they opened a new road in Del Rio, my route increased," he said.
During his tenure as postman, Sorrell's postmasters included Rufus Ford, Lucille Rowland, M. E. Woody, Eleanor Grigsby, and Evelyn Adams. He retired in 1980. On June 24, 1939, he married the love of his life, pretty Orla Moore, a nearby Blue Mill neighbor.
They had one son, Norman, when Uncle Sam tapped Herman on the shoulder again with a draft notice. World War II had erupted, and Herman spent another 42 months serving his country, this time in France and Germany.
He returned home with both a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. Orla and Norman lived with her sister in Knoxville while Herman was away. A second son, Gary, was born in 1948.
Today Herman's family stretches five generations, including nine grandchildren, some great-grandchildren, and little Leiarah Gray, his eight-month-old great-great-granddaughter.
Two of his grandsons, Brian Sorrell and Kevin Foust, are serving in the Middle East - Brian in Afghanistan and Kevin in Iraq.
Such longevity isn't unusual in the Sorrell family. Both of Herman's parents reached the age of 89, and his grandfather, D. S. Sorrell, lived past 95, earning himself the honor of being Cocke County last surviving Civil War veteran.
- [S124] Brown Funeral Home, Newport, Tennessee, (http://www.newportfunerals.com), 21 Feb 2009.
James Herman Sorrell, age 96, of Newport, went to be with Jesus Saturday, February 21, 2009 at Lifecare Center in Morristown. He was a member of the Purple Heart, D.A.V., and a lifelong member of Jones Chapel United Methodist Church in Del Rio and attended Northport Baptist Church. He was also a member of the Rural Letter Carriers Association and served on the local military honor guard.
He was preceded in death by his wife Orla Sorrell, parents, brother William Sorrell, sister Grace Compton. Survivors include his sons Norman Sorrell of Knoxville, Gary Sorrell (Kathy) of Newport, grandchildren Vickie Hicks, Bill Sorrell, Brian Sorrell, Craig Sorrell, Jennifer Holt, step-grandchildren Kevin Foust, Kasey Foust, and Kerri Foust, 9 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great grandchild, special friends Bill and Bessie Justus along with several nieces, nephews, and a host of other family and friends.
Funeral Service will be held at 8:00 P.M. Monday, February 23, 2009 in the chapel of Brown Funeral Home. The family will meet at 10:30 A.M. on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at Brown Funeral Home to process to Union Cemetery for an 11:00 A.M. interment. The family will receive friends on Monday from 5:00-8:00 P.M. prior to the service at the funeral home.
Brown Funeral Home in charge of arrangements
- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 24 Feb 2009.
James Herman Sorrell, well-known Cocke County WWII veteran, dies at 96
NEWPORT-One of Cocke County's oldest military veterans, James Herman Sorrell, will be buried at 11 a.m. today in Union Cemetery.
Sorrell, the patriarch of a five-generation family, died Saturday, Feb. 21, at the age of 96.
He was born 17 August 1912 in Del Rio, TN, the second of three children of the late Thomas Jefferson Sorrell and his wife, the former Dovie Mae Spangler. An older brother, William Sorrell, and a younger sister, Grace (Sorrell) [Self] Compton, preceded him in death.
After attending local schools, Sorrell entered the United States Army during the 1930s. In an interview two years ago, he said that many young men signed up for military service during this time because of the Great Depression. "There just weren't any jobs around," he said.
After serving for two years, he returned to Cocke County and worked until he was drafted into additional military service during World War II.
He spent his time in the European Theatre, serving in the Third Infantry under General George Patton. While in France, his unit crossed the Moselle River into Germany where he was wounded.
He was later awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.
Once again he chose to return to his native county, where he began work as a rural mail carrier. During his 40-year career, he witnessed the number of homes he served multiply many times over as the county's population grew.
Counting his terms of military service, Sorrell had over 46 years of government service to his credit when he retired from the U. S. Post Office.
Like many of his ancestors, Sorrell grew up as a member of the Methodist Church, treasuring his lifelong association with Jones Chapel United Methodist Church in Del Rio. In later years, he equally treasured his time with Northport Baptist Church.
As a young man, he married the late Orla Moore, a daughter of the late J. A. and Laura Moore of Del Rio, on 24 June 1939. They became the parents of two sons: Norman and Gary, both of whom survive.
He was also extremely active in several military organizations, including the Purple Heart Veterans and Disabled American Veterans. For many years, he was a faithful member of the DAV Honor Guard.
He also enjoyed sharing his vast knowledge of local and family history. He particularly relished telling stories about his paternal grandfather, David Benjamin Stringfield Sorrell, who was Cocke County's last surviving veteran of the Civil War at his death on March 18, 1940, at the age of 95.
He was also extremely proud of his family's continued devotion to America through their service in the military and enjoyed telephone conversations with a grandson serving in Iraq.
On his 95th birthday he relished a whitewater rafting trip down the Pigeon River and later voiced his desire to skydive.
Visitation and services were held last night at Brown Funeral Home. Rev. Wade Holbrook and Rev. Ransom Hall officiated.
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